Closure and sealing device for metal container openings



. Feb. 14, 1939. LB. WACKMAN 2,147,325

CLOSURE AND SEALING DEVICE FOR METAL CONTAINER OPENINGS Filed Mach 16, 1955 101x323. Zwrf/mxz aw/6% dz y.

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE AND SEALING DEVICE FOR METAL CONTAINER OPENINGS Application March 16, 1935, Serial No. 11,428

3 Claims.

This invention relates to metallic containers such as are commonly known to the trade as drums or barrels for the transportation or storage of oil, its derivatives and the like, the invention however, more particularly pertaining to a closing and sealing device for the filling and discharge openings of the containers.

The main object of the invention is to provide a closure and sealing device of a structure Wherein the parts thereof are so related in their assembly, as to provide a plurality of seals in the closing device of each container opening, and the last seal to be applied, serving to prevent undetectable access or tampering.

Another object is to provide a closure and sealing device of 'a plurality of parts which are made cooperable one with the other, and with each part provided with a cooperable gasket for insuring positive sealing of a container opening.

A further object is to provide a closure structure embodying a threaded bushing which is compressed into the metal surrounding the opening I of a wall of a container, and secured thereto by curling the extending end of the bushing over the end of the material of the opening, and a cap mounted over the bushing, having a gasket in effective side sealing engagement with the free end of the curled over end of the bushing.

A still further object of the invention is in securing a threaded bushing in an opening of a container wall by curling an end of the bushing over the extending end of the material of the opening, mounting a gasket carried closure plug in the threads of the bushing with the gasket thereof in engagement with one end of the bushing threads, and securing a cap having a gasket mounted in the skirt thereof, over the bushing and the plug, with the gasket in sealed tight engagement against and under the free end of the curled over part of the bushing.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, exemplifying the invention, and in which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a barrel head showing this improved closure and sealing device applied thereto, with a portion of the upper structure of the device shown partlyin section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section, taken approximately on the line Ill-l1 of Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the sealing cap before its securance thereon.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line III-III of Fig. 1.

Figure! is a side elevation of the gasket carrying closure plug which forms one of the parts of the device, a fragmentary portion of the gas ket being broken away and shown in section.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a portion of a barrel head of a sheet metal container, the head having an outwardly pressed part forming a pocket 6, and concentrically extended from the material of the pocket is an upstanding neck or flange I. Mounted in the neck I is a bushing 8 which is interiorly threaded as designated at 9, said bushing having a flange II] with radially extending projections engaged in the pocket 6, the projections of the flange seating in similarly formed recesses which are radially extended from the pocket 6.

For securing the bushing 8 in the neck I and the flange l0 thereof in the pocket 6, a relatively thin wall It is extended from the bushing above the upper end of the threads 9 and is curled over the free end of the neck as designated at l2, the curling of said wall tightly drawing the bushing in the neck wherein the flange ll] of the bushing will securely engage the gasket I3 which is interposed between the flange l0 and the material of the head and/or the pocket 6.

The manner in which the thin wall ll extends from the upper end of the thread provides a seat I4 at the upper end of the threads 9 of the bushing 8 for the gasket l5 which is carried in the groove I6 of a closure plug 11 which is adapted to be mounted in the bushing in engagement with the threads 9 thereof.

The plug [1 is provided with a flange l8 in proximity to the groove I6 in which the gasket l5 of the bushing is mounted, the diameter of the bushing flange being approximately that of the outside diameter of the bushing threads 20 and 40 the bushing flange being of less diameter than that of the inner periphery of the thin wall it of the bushing.

The gasket groove 5 of the plug I1 is relatively deep, and in fact considerably deeper than the threads of the bushing so that said gasket which is relatively wide, can be maintained in position in the groove when the plug is removed from the bushing, and further, so that the gasket which has an outside diameter greater than the of the gasket with the wall I l of the bushing. 55

Containers of the character for storing and shipping oil, gasoline and the like, are generally provided with both a filling and a pouring opening, the pouring opening being smaller in diameter than the filling opening, and obviously it is necessary that both openings be efficiently sealed for both transportation and storage purposes. When a container is filled, the plug I1 is threadingly engaged in the threads 9 of the bushing, wrench engagement of the plug being provided by the polygonal walled recess I9 formed in the plug.

The gasket I5 employed in the groove I6 of the plug i1, is of a composition to obtain and maintain resilient flexibility, so that the tightening operation of the plug in the bushing 8, will not only compress the gasket I5 between the plug flange I8 and the bushing gasket seat I4, but will also crowd the marginal edge portion H of the gasket which extends beyond the periphery of the plug flange I8, upward into, and between the plug fiange periphery and the inner periphery of the bushing wall II. This manner of compressing and seating the gasket I5 will provide a seal both on the gasket seat I 4 and against the bushing wall II and the upwardly forced interposed annular marginal portion 2| of the gasket between the plug flange I8 and the curled part or beaded portion I2 of the bushing wall II, will also form a further sealing by the gasket I5 and in addition, the plug flange I8 will be prevented from contacting with the bushing gasket seat I I by reason of the specified manner of the functioning of the interposed gasket.

In structures of this character having what is known as a pressed-in bushing, held in the barrel head without being spot welded thereto, it may occur that seepage will develop between the bushing and the barrel neck I, with a consequent leakage of the barrel contents,. even though a gasket such as designated at I3, is employed between the bushing flange I0 and the barrel wall, particularly in the event that said gasket develops to be faulty. For preventing this leakage, a sealing cap 22 is used.

After the plug I! has been mounted in a seal tight closing position in the threaded opening of the bushing 8 and is secured therein by proper manipulation in respect to seating the gasket I5 thereof in the manner aforedescribed, the cap 22 having a depending skirt 23 with an annular groove 24 therein, and a gasket 25 in the groove, is mounted over the extending end of the bushing and/or the beaded portion I2 thereof, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

The sealing cap 22 is of a size so that the inner periphery of the gasket will fittingly pass over the outer extremity of the beaded portion I2 of the bushing, and the gasket is of a thickness to fill the groove 24 in which it is mounted so that the inner periphery of the gasket will be in flush alinement with the depending lower portion 26 of the skirt 23 of the cap.

After positioning the cap 22 over the beaded portion I2 of the bushing, a tool with clamping jaws is engaged thereover, and operated to engage the skirt 23 and/or the dependinglower portion 26 of the skirt for contracting the cap skirt, in the manner shown in Fig. 3, wherein the lower depending portion 26 of the skirt will be tightly engaged against the outer periphery of the neck I, and that part of the skirt above the portion 26 will be uniformly inwardly inclined for compressing the gasket 25 tightly against the outer perimeter of the beaded port-ion I2 of the bushing 8 and in annular under engagement with the free end 21 of the beaded portion.

The compressed tight engagement of the cap skirt gasket 25, with the perimeter of the beaded portion I2 and particularly the pressed tight under engagement of that portion of the gasket beneath the free end 21 of the beaded portion will provide a sealed tight joint at the juncture of the lapping free end 21 of the beaded portion I2 with the barrel neck'T, capable of preventing leakage from the barrel, through the lapped joint.

From the foregoing, it is therefore obvious that a leak proof closure is provided by the plug and its gasket, for preventing leakage through the bushing opening, and that the side sealing engagement of the cap skirt carried gasket 25, will prevent leakage from a location between the barrel head and/or barrel neckand the outside of the bushing. It is further obvious that in the event the plug carried gasket l5 becomes faulty in its seal tight engagement between the plug and the bushing seat I4, that the cap skirt carried gasket 25 will prevent seepage of the leaking fluid after it has passed the plug gasket I5.

In addition to the sealing cap 22 with the gasket 25 in the skirt thereof, serving as a last and final seal for the structure, the cap also provides a means in serving to prevent undetectable access or tampering of the closure structure by unauthorized persons, because any attempt to remove the sealing cap would be an indication to the consignee or recipient of the goods, that the container thereof had been tampered with. Thus, undetectable tampering is guarded against.

Owing to it being a requirement of the invention that the marginal edge portion 2| of the plug gasket I 5, be interposed between the plug flange I8 and the beaded portion I2 of the bushing, the plug flange I8 will not be wholly confined within the wall II of the bushing but will project somewhat above the beaded portion I2. For this reason and for providing proper seating engagement of the sheet metal cap 22, the intermediate portion of the cap top is raised, as shown at 28 in conformity with the size and shape of the plug flange I8, so that when the cap is being mounted on the plug and over the bushing, the raised portion of the cap will properly center the skirt 23 of the cap in over-engagerlrent with the perimeter of the beaded portion The cap 22 on its top, outwardly of the intermediately raised portion 28, is provided with an annular portion 29 for seating engagement on top of the beaded portion I 2, said portions 28 and 29 forming solid resting portions for a capping tool during contracting of the skirt 23 of the cap, for securing the cap in'seal tight engagement over the plug, the beaded portion I2 of the bushing and the barrel neck or flange I.

The cap 22 on its top and skirt portion is provided with a pair of spaced diametrically extending scored or weakened lines 30, and for cooperation with said lines for tearing away the material of the cap topbetween said lines, are end disposed apertured tabs 3|.

The recipient of the barrel or container can readily insert a tool in an aperture of one of the tabs for carrying on the tearing operation for authorized removal of the cap for providing access to the polygonal tool engaging recess I9 of the plug I! for removal of the plug.-

Having thus described the invention so that those skilled in the art will be able to practice the same, what I desire to secure by Letters Pat-- forming an opening in a wall of the container which includes an outwardly extending annular flange and a bushing surrounded by said flange having a part turned upon the latter to provide a lapped joint at the outer end of the flange, a cap mounted over said bushing having its side wall contracted behind said lapped joint, said cap having a groove formed in its side wall, and a gasket carried by the groove of the cap for over-lapping and sealing the free end of the lapped joint of the bushing.

2. In structure of the character described, means forming an opening in the wall of a container, said container wall being formed into an upstanding flange surrounding said opening, a bushing in said flange having its upper end beaded over the end of said flange, a seal cap forvclosing said opening having a skirt portion received over said bead and flange and a gasket confined between said skirt and the portions of said head and flange opposed thereto, said skirt adapted to be contracted around said flange'and said gasket adapted on contraction of said skirt to be pressed under said bead to seal the line of joinder between said bead and flange.

3. In structure of the character described, means forming an opening in a wall of a container, said opening being surrounded by an upstandingneck with a bead around the outer end thereof, a seal cap for closing said opening have ing an uncontracted skirt portion received oversaid head and neck, said skirt portion holding a gasket between it and the bead with the gasket extending below the bead whereby, when said skirt portion is contracted around said neck,

said gasket is pressed in tightly undersaid bead to form a liquid-tight seal between said skirt and 'the portions of said bead and neck opposed thereto.

LOUIS B. WACKMAN. 

